Metal cutting industry, a key sector in manufacturing, is grappling with the transition to a "net-zero industry" to mitigate climate change and reach sustainable practices. Rare and exclusive materials make recycling and reusing cutting tools more pressing and necessitate efficient circular material flows. The purpose of this research is to explore how collaboration can facilitate circularity in the cutting tool industry. It examines the involvement of stakeholders and their roles in achieving a circular lifecycle for cutting tools. To investigate the interaction between metal cutting tools suppliers and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), this study used a mixed-methods approach that includes data from literature, interviews, and document study. Empirical data is gathered to investigate the factors driving circularity and to identify important participants in the lifecycle of cutting tools. The study revealed challenges to the current situation including underutilization of tools due to the absence of a standardization process and subjective operator judgment, as well as lack of traceability of the tools both internally at SMEs and between the stakeholders. Moreover, by mapping the current actors, the study found cutting tool traceability, undirected decision-making throughout tool lifecycles, and limited awareness of circularity dimensions are key challenges. To handle these challenges. 9Rs circular economy framework used to investigate the possible role of collaboration emerges as a vital enabler for circularity, with SMEs playing a significant role. Moreover, the involvement of machine operators, often overlooked actors, is found to be crucial in influencing circular outcomes. Digital solutions and collaborative strategies that involve CNC machine suppliers and intermittent refurbishing business are pivotal in overcoming the challenges identified, namely, traceability and human subjectivity in tool condition assessment. The study demonstrates that technology providers, intermediary refurbishing businesses, SMEs and other stakeholders operating in the metal cutting tools sector must be involved throughout their lifetime to avoid suboptimal results, exchange information, and inspire industrial actors to support the circular economy.

Increased circular behaviours in Small and Medium-sized (SME) manufacturing companies would strongly contribute to a more circular economy. However, previous research has identified that the development and adoption of a circular economy hindered by behavioural barriers on organisational as well as individual level. With a specific focus on cemented carbide tooling that is frequently used in machining operations, this paper aims to identify actors and interactions between actors that influence circular behaviours related to acquisition, utilisation, and end-of-life activities in manufacturing companies and how circular behaviour can be enabled based on these roles. Findings show that there are several actors with the potential to positively influence the transition to a circular economy if they adopt pro-circular behaviours, e.g. Operators, production planners, production technicians, as well as top management. Also, purchasing professionals are a central actor deeply involved in both recommendations and execution of decisions particularly related to acquisition activities; a framework for intervention is suggested to enable circular behaviours at all organisation levels based on organisational hierarchy and control planned behaviour theory (TPB). 

Remanufacturing is key to circular economy goals in metalworking, however, many businesses struggle to turn multi-lifecycle performance into profitable business models. This study examines how remanufacturing service providers design circular business models for metal-cutting tools and identifies where misalignments occur between circular performance and value capture. Building on an adapted Circular Business Model Canvas and a Circular Performance Index (CPI), the study examines organisational, operational, and strategic dimensions across seven European service providers through semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and comparative scoring of five core capabilities: service portfolio, digital traceability, trust-building mechanisms, circular impact, and pricing logic. findings show that mature remanufacturing can achieve three to four tool lifecycles and significantly reduce virgin material use and CO₂ emissions. However, most service providers underprice remanufactured tools, rely on weak digital integration, and communicate inconsistently about quality and sustainability, causing a CPI gap between operational circularity and their business model sophistication. High-performing firms differentiate themselves through certified multi-step reconditioning, data-enabled traceability, and premium or service-based pricing that reframes remanufactured tools as high-performance solutions rather than discounted substitutes. The analysis identifies sector-specific challenges such as critical quality standards, the often underestimated role of operator expertise, and fragmented collaboration among OEMs, SMEs, and logistics actors. This study advances circular business models and remanufacturing literature by empirically linking multi-lifecycle performance with value capture in a B2B setting and highlighting specialised service providers as boundary actors in circular ecosystems. It concludes with practical design principles to develop more coherent, profitable circular business models for remanufactured tools.

This study investigates the transition to a circular economy in the metal cutting tools industry, highlighting collaboration challenges and lifecycle management. We propose a framework that fosters designer-user collaboration, enhancing circularity and sustainability through improved lifecycle oversight and information sharing, as evidenced by our case study findings.